General Motors will lay off 14,700 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles report chron.com.

For the first time, University of Canterbury Motorsport (UCM) students have designed and built two state-of-the-art race cars to enter in the highly competitive international Formula Student event this summer – one electric race car and the other driven by a more conventional combustion engine.

The first RAM 1500 has come off the Australian production line where the legendary American truck is being remanufactured into right hand drive and it was driven straight into a container heading for the Fieldays at Hamilton and its New Zealand launch on 13 June 2018. At the wheel of the very first RAM 1500 was Roger Zagorski, the Managing Director of Australia’s official factory appointed RAM importer and distributor, the Ateco Group.

Holden New Zealand anticipates a $4 million bill will accompany the voluntary recall of 24,000 vehicles with defective Takata airbags, which is separate to the government's compulsory order over the faulty safety devices last month

As car companies see people willing to ditch their vehicles, they’re responding by offering more flexible options. Instead of owning one car, what if you got whatever car you want, just when you needed it?

There are a few things that BMW is very good at, and one of those is providing plenty of get-go in a beautiful package. The new-generation 5 Series is a great sedan to start with, but add in the goodness of a twin-turbo V8 and there's even more to love about this beautiful sedan.

Jan 26, 2018 - British industrialist Sanjeev Gupta is eyeing a move to Holden’s former automotive manufacturing site in Adelaide, as part of plans to build electric vehicles in Australia. According to reports, South Australian treasurer Tom Kousantonis said in a letter that Gupta’s company, GFG Alliance, had recently approached the state government with plans to buy some of the factory’s assets.

Jan 4, 2018 - HSV’s final Holden Commodore-based model is a 2017 GTSR W1. Australia’s semi-official tuner to Holden, HSV, has made a name for itself over the past three decades by churning out meaty muscle cars based on successive generations of rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered Holden Commodores. All of that has come to an end, however, as HSV on Wednesday announced the construction of its final Commodore-based model.

Dec 8, 2017 - Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) has announced its product plan for 2018, following the end of General Motors manufacturing in Australia, and it doesn’t include any hot imported Commodores. However, the good news for rear-wheel drive V8 muscle-car fans is the 2018 HSV range will be headlined by the Chevrolet Camaro SS coupe, although it will be $20,000 pricier than Ford’s equivalent Mustang GT at up to $80K. Before HSV begins right-hand drive Camaro conversions in July, it will start RHD production of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD pick-up in April, followed by the even heavier-duty Silverado 3500HD…

15 Nov 2017 - What brings an extremely wealthy Australian tech guru to the backblocks of the South Island? Granted, there is a small stream on the western boundary of his 550 hectare North Canterbury farm that might harbour brown trout but there’s certainly no lake, no private golf course, no hint of equestrian activity, no magnificent country estate, rather just a random collection of innocuous sheds of varying sizes and shapes. On closer inspection there are, however, extensive tar-sealed roads, one in particular running for nearly a kilometre alongside a narrow public access road that forms the inland route…

7 Nov - Royal Enfield has inaugurated its new Technology Centre in Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds, Leicestershire. The brand new facility, located at the heart of the central Midlands area of UK, is housed at the largest privately owned vehicle test track facility, thereby ensuring ease of access to a host of vehicle development, engineering and testing-related​ ​facilities. The choice of location suits the iconic motorcycle manufacturer considering Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground first opened in 1942 for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and hosted both the RAF and US Air Force. In line with its aim to expand and make…

Bringing a whole new meaning to “speedy recovery We all know Formula 1 is a test bed for a variety of technologies that will eventually trickle down to the street. Now, McLaren is taking its go-faster know-how and applying it somewhere a bit unexpected – health care. The body armor you see here was created in response to a client’s request for a device that would help keep his organs protected after undergoing surgery. It’s called Invincible shield, and it protects the rib cage through the use of high-failure strain Dyneema fibers, as well as woven fabrics and a highly-toughened…

Former McLaren employee John Nicholson, who prepared Can-Am and F1 engines for the team and played a key role in the World Championship victories of 1974 and 1976, has passed away in his native New Zealand. He was 75. Nicholson was also a gifted driver in his own right, and he even briefly made it to F1, competing in the 1975 British GP as well as four non-championship races. Although he never raced a works McLaren, he did a lot of testing for the team, driving Can-Am, F5000, F2 and on occasion F1 machinery. John was born into a mechanical…

The exciting Kia Stinger will provide the power and rear-wheel-drive attributes that have become increasingly scarce following the local demise of two other large sedans. It will reinvent the segment with a thoroughly modern and desirable package. With 365hp (272kW) of peak power and 510Nm of torque available from the twin-turbocharged V6 engine in the flagship GT Sport model, the new Kia has power to burn – it can rocket to 100km/h in less than 5 seconds.The sporty 5-door liftback styling also has the power to turn heads, benefitting from the award winning design prowess of Kia Motors’ Chief Designer,…

Kiwi drivers Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche but their days in the LMP1 team are limited, with the German manufacturer announcing its withdrawal from the class after November’s final round. The future of Porsche's two New Zealand factory drivers, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley, remains secure, despite the manufacturer's decision to withdraw from the LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the end of the 2017 season. An announcement was made this week confirming that from 2019 a Porsche works team would compete in Formula E, the…

Volvo Cars has announced that every Volvo it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor, marking a historic shift from cars with only internal combustion engines (ICE) and placing electrification at the core of its future business. The announcement represents a significant move to embrace electrification and highlights an emerging chapter in automotive history. “This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo president and CEO. “People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.” Volvo will introduce a portfolio…

KUALA LUMPUR (Nikkei Markets) -- Malaysia's Sime Darby, the world's largest palm oil producer by acreage, Tuesday announced the sale of its vehicle distribution business in Australia and New Zealand, yet another step as the conglomerate restructures its sprawling operations. The buyers, Inchcape Australia and Rick Armstrong Motor Group in New Zealand, will take over the business that distributes Peugeot, Citroen and DS vehicles in the two countries effective June 1. Apart from the brands under French car maker Groupe PSA, Sime Darby Motors also represents other names ranging from Nissan to Ferrari in the two markets. Sime Darby said…

Independent fuel supplier, Waitomo, is taking a big leap forward for New Zealand’s petroleum industry by installing Vapour Recovery technology at its new Fuel Stop on the Bombay Hills, due to open on 29th May. Vapour Recovery is still in its infancy in New Zealand – only a small handful of fuel sites currently feature this technology at the dispenser nozzle. Waitomo is a 100% Kiwi-owned and operated company and has invested in the best technology available to help look after the environment and reduce emissions when dispensing petrol. Managing Director Jimmy Ormsby says Waitomo is always looking for innovative…

Chinese companies started talking a decade ago about cracking the U.S. auto market with an array of low-cost passenger vehicles. That hasn’t happened, so instead they’re getting under the hoods of American cars by buying up parts makers at a record pace writes Bruce Einhorn for Industry Week. Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp. supplies windshield-washer and ventilation systems to some of the world’s biggest carmakers, including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG. Last year, it spent more than $1 billion buying a Michigan maker of air bags and an Indiana manufacturer of assembly-line equipment. Now, it’s on track…

Honda and Hitachi are teaming up to lower the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing. The motorThe motor pictured is from Honda's NSX supercar. As electric cars become more common, manufacturers are battling to find new ways to improve their hardware and lower costs. Over at Honda, the desire to improve its battery-powered cars has led to a new partnership with Hitachi, which has a long history of building motors for electric vehicles. Given the global push toward tighter emissions standards and the growing popularity of electric vehicles, both Honda and Hitachi are looking to lower the cost of mass producing…

The Taxpayers’ Union says that the focus on petrol margins earned by fuel companies, is a classic ‘bait and switch’ by politicians to avoid questions about the enormous taxes they impose at the pump. Responding to Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collin’s announcement of a market study into fuel prices/returns to be undertaken by the MBIE, Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union, says: “While an examination into petrol company fuel margins is welcome, it is a bit rich to blame high fuel prices on the fuel companies when the amount of tax on fuel is nearly 20-times the…

SkyNews reports that The McLaren group's sports car arm will repatriate production and development of its chassis in a move creating at least 200 jobs. McClaren has agreed a £50m deal to build a new production and research facility for its carbon fibre sports car chassis in the UK. McLaren Automotive, a sister firm of the wider group which includes the Formula One racing team, is bringing the work back to the country from overseas in a move creating 200 jobs. The roles would comprise mainly production staff, with 50 support workers. The factory is to be housed next to…

The next-generation 2018 Holden Commodore Sportwagon has been revealed today, thanks to an online reveal of the new model in its European form. At the same time, Holden has confirmed it will continue the Sportwagon name, rather than introduce the Sports Tourer badge worn by the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia version shown in today’s reveal. Before today’s virtual unveiling, the new Commodore wagon was unceremoniously revealed in December when an undisguised car was spotted during promotional filming. Identical to its liftback sedan companion up front, the wagon is set apart not only by the obvious body differences, but also courtesy of a…

Australian car manufacturing is coming to a close, putting an end to more than a century of automotive excellence from Down Under. General Motors Holden will close its plant on October 20, but won't be going gently into that good night. Instead, the team at Holden Special Vehicles has created the GTS-R W1. It's powered by an LS9 V8, and just 300 examples will be built, providing a fitting (smoky) farewell to the classic Australian V8. For those who aren't aware, Holden Special Vehicles is the Holden equivalent of AMG or BMW M. It takes family sedans and turns them…

Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the publication of guidance on public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is timely as New Zealand’s fleet reaches more than 2500, exceeding all targets. The guidance will support public charging infrastructure by providing clear recommendations for both investors and those enabling the development of charging station sites, such as local authorities. “This guidance is an important step towards developing a safe and consistent nationwide charging network that EV drivers can depend on,” Mr Bridges says. “It not only marks an important milestone in the Government’s EV programme, but will help reassure drivers that EVs…

Ducati and Diesel have teamed up to create a limited edition bike that combines “elements from the past and the future.” It’s being called the Ducati Diavel Diesel. According to a press release from Ducati, the bike will be produced 666 times. “To create the Ducati Diavel Diesel, the two style centers were inspired by a hyperkinetic dynamism of a post-apocalyptic, retro-futuristic world,” notes Ducati. The exterior of the bike features a hand-brushed stainless steel superstructure that has “visible welding and rivets”. These details along with the leather saddle give the bike an amazing appearance. | Continue to the full…

In 1966, construction of the ŠKODA TREKKA lightweight off-road vehicle began in New Zealand› The chassis, based on the ŠKODA OCTAVIA, came from Mladá Boleslav along with the rigid central tubular frame and independent suspension.› Many bodywork variants, good off-road capability, low running costs Mladá Boleslav, 2 December 2016 – The ancestor of the ŠKODA SUV models is celebrating a major birthday: exactly 50 years ago, on 2 December 1966, production of the TREKKA model began in the town of Otahuhu, New Zealand. By 1972, almost three thousand of the lightweight off-road cars had been manufactured. “ŠKODA has always striven…

McLaren Automotive has awarded its first international internship to a student from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Following in the footsteps of the McLaren founder, Bruce McLaren, Andrew McLaren (no relation), a third-year student in the Faculty of Engineering studying Mechatronics Engineering, will spend nine weeks at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, working alongside the company’s Research and Development engineers. Nearly 60 years beforehand, the McLaren founder, Bruce McLaren, travelled to England on a similar ‘Driver to Europe’ scholarship to pursue his motorsport aspirations and founded his own racing company in 1963. Born in Auckland, New…

Volkswagen AG (IW 1000/8) reached a landmark agreement with workers to cut as many as 30,000 jobs globally and save 3.7 billion euros (US$3.9 billion) in expenses as the company tries to claw back from the emissions-cheating scandal and invest in electric vehicles. Reducing headcount by nearly 5% will come through attrition as the automaker agreed to refrain from forced layoffs until 2025, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said Friday. After months of intense talks, labor and management agreed on a package to balance cost-cutting with investment as the auto industry shifts away from traditional combustion engines and adapts to car-sharing…

Nov. 17, 2016 / PRZen / SAN JOSE, Calif. -- RaceAmerica Corporation, world leaders in solutions for Track Safety lighting, Race Timing, LED Scoreboards and Race Management Software, celebrates 25 years of providing customers around the world with state of the art technology by announcing a strategic partnership with ALM Sales Pty Ltd of Melbourne Australia. ALM Sales Pty Ltd will partner with RaceAmerica to provide representation and engineering expertise in the Australian and New Zealand region. The team at ALM Sales Pty Ltd, headed by well-known and respected racing identity and "Mr Dunlop" of Karting, Les May, brings over…